


Drowning

by txmedic37



Category: Castle
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Season 8, Short One Shot, post-episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2015-10-28
Packaged: 2018-04-28 13:20:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5092283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/txmedic37/pseuds/txmedic37
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events in The Nose, Ryan goes to The Old Haunt to drown his sorrows.  Castle tries to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drowning

**Author's Note:**

> Watching "The Nose", I felt so bad for Ryan. Nothing is going right for him this season, and I felt like the guy must be feeling overwhelmed by now. So this little one-shot popped in my head. Spoilers for Season 8. The show and recognizable characters of course belong to ABC and Marlowe. This has not been beta read, so all mistakes are mine alone, and probably copious.

Drowning

 

As the cab made its way through New York City traffic, author Richard Castle listened to the voice on the other end of his cell phone and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the headrest.

 

_“I hate to bother you, Mr. Castle, but I know he’s a friend of yours.  He’s not bothering anyone, and he’s not causing a scene, but he’s had way more than I think is healthy.  I don’t know if the guy can make his way home after that much whiskey.”_

 

Although he suspected he knew who his bartender was referring to, Rick still asked for clarification.  “Thanks, Matt.  I appreciate it.  Which friend is it?”

 

_“One of those detectives.  The skinny one with the really blue eyes and fancy suits.”_

 

After the day the Irishman had had, Rick wasn’t exactly surprised the detective had wound up at The Old Haunt to drown his sorrows.  “Keep him there, Matt.  I’ll be there in about ten minutes and I’ll get him home.”

 

_“Thanks, boss.  I don’t think I’ll have a problem keeping him here.”_

 

Matt’s chuckle trailed off then died abruptly as Rick ended the call.  Detective Kevin Ryan had not had a good year.  The man was driving himself to exhaustion working off-duty jobs to earn money for his daughter’s future education; had to turn his brother-in-law in after a murder Kevin felt responsible for.  Not that he _was_ responsible.  That’s just how Ryan was.  It happened on his watch, so he carried that burden.  He inexplicably failed the Sergeant’s exam, while his partner Javier Esposito passed.  Then Ryan accidentally shot his partner.  In the ass.

 

Ryan had every reason to drown his sorrows in whiskey.

 

Castle gave the cabbie the change in destination then pondered what he’d say to Ryan once he reached The Old Haunt.  With his own troubles weighing him down, Rick wasn’t sure he had it in him to provide succor to Ryan.

 

When the taxi slid smoothly up to the curb in front of the historic old bar, Castle paid his fare and a sizeable tip then climbed from the cab.  With a deep sigh, the writer opened the door and stepped inside.  His eyes quickly adjusted to the light and he spotted Ryan on a stool near the end of the bar.

 

Normally very meticulous in his dress, Ryan’s hair was mussed and his tie was undone to hang loosely around his neck.  As Castle watched, the Irish detective tossed back a shot and motioned for Matt to pour another one.  Meeting the bar tender’s eye, Rick shook his head.  Matt made an excuse and wandered to the other end of the bar, leaving the problem to his boss.

 

Rick made his way to the bar and climbed onto the stool next to Ryan.  When the younger man finally made eye contact, Castle sighed softly.  The detective’s blue eyes were watery and bloodshot.  Defeat radiated from the hunched, slender form.

 

“Matt called me, Ryan.  He thinks maybe you’ve had enough for tonight.”

 

Snorting softly, Ryan turned back to the bar and spun the empty shot glass with long, slender fingers.  “I’m buzzed, Castle.  Not drunk.  If there’s one thing I’m actually good at, it’s holding my liquor.”

 

Taking that as his opening, Rick nudged Ryan’s arm.  “You know damn well that you’re good at a lot of things.”

 

“I appreciate you coming down here, Castle, but words won’t change a damn thing.”  Ryan slid the glass off to the side and clenched his hands into fists on the polished wood bar top.  “I’m still a laughing-stock at the 12th, I’m still a failure as a father and husband because I can’t do for my family the way I should, I still failed the damn exam and my partner still hates me.”

 

Despair seemed to roll off Ryan in waves as he ranted quietly, and Rick was at a loss.  “Kevin, you’re a good man.  You do your best for your family, the people at the 12th will move on to something else in a week or so, and as for Esposito…he’ll forgive you.”

 

“Sure he will.”

 

Remembering the last time the two had such a spat, Castle smiled.  “Hey, he eventually forgave you after you went to Gates for backup that time with Maddox, right?”

 

Heaving a sigh of his own, Ryan fished his wallet from his pocket to pay his tab.  “Castle, I appreciate it.  I do.  But we have different problems, you and I.”

 

Waving his hand to indicate that Ryan’s tab was free, Castle frowned.  “What do you mean?”

 

“Beckett loves you, Castle.  Eventually she’ll pull her head out of her ass, get over whatever is bugging her, and she’ll be back with you at the loft.”  Ryan slipped his wallet back into his pocket and made a half-hearted attempt to fix his tie.  “That’s your one problem.  Once it’s fixed, you’re golden.”

 

“I’ll never live this down at the 12th.  Just like you and Espo and everyone else still call me Honeymilk.  I sell my soul to you every week to make extra money for my family, even though I know it’s wrong.”  Ryan made his way to the exit and wrapped his hand around the brass door handle.  He looked back at Rick and smiled sadly.  “You know what happened to get Javi to forgive me for going to Gates?  I got my ass kicked.  I took a punch to the face for my partner and he deigned to forgive me for doing the right thing.”

 

Pulling the door open, Ryan stopped once more.  His shoulders slumped as he stared at the ground.  “Maybe I’ll take a bullet for Espo this time.  Maybe he’ll forgive me, then.”

 

As Ryan walked out, steps slow but steady, Castle watched the door swing shut behind the departing detective.  He had nothing to say that would help.  For once, words utterly failed the writer.  He couldn’t make Esposito forgive his partner.  He could try to get the other officers to quit giving Ryan a hard time, but wasn’t sure the younger man would appreciate the interference.  But maybe there was something he could do to help Ryan’s finances without it seeming like charity.

 

If he could steal Ryan’s life to create Raley, maybe that could profit Ryan in a legitimate way.  He needed to talk to his agent.  In the mean time, if you can’t beat ‘em…join ‘em.  “Matt, I’ll have whatever he was having.”

 

After all, he had his own troubles to drown.

 

END


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